Melton Harness Tips October 17
New Zealand Trotting Cup Tips & Preview
Spankem (Stuart McCormick/HRV)
The Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) will be run at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 10. Read on for our New Zealand Trotting Cup Tips and Preview.
New Zealand Trotting Cup Tips & Preview
New Zealand’s biggest race is finally here, and it is one that has been dominated by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen in recent years. That could change on Tuesday with trainer Ray Green preparing four-year-old entire Copy That who has drawn barrier one.
For those not aware, the New Zealand Trotting Cup takes place over two miles and run under standing-start conditions.
The start will be crucial because a good beginning for Copy That will have him and driver Blair Orange in the driver’s seat in the race. If he is slow away and gets crossed, then he runs the risk of being buried on the markers early.
Purdon and Rasmussen train Self Assured, Ashley Locaz and Spankem in the race; it is a trio of runners, but I can only see two of them as winning chances.
Who will win the 2020 New Zealand Trotting Cup?
Self Assured is a five-year-old gelding that has had 21 starts for 13 wins and seven placings. Three starts ago, Self Assured won the Group 2 Canterbury Classic (2600m) by 1.9 lengths over Spankem. He then ran second in the Group 3 Methven Cup (3000m) won by Spankem. It was a good effort by both horses with Self Assured racing in the breeze and Spankem running him down from the 1 out 4 back position.
At his latest effort, Self Assured was once again second, this time behind the New Zealand Trotting Cup favourite Copy That in the Group 2 Ashburton Flying Starts (2400m). Copy That was gifted the front, while Self Assured sat parked to finish 1.3 lengths away.
Self Assured is a much better horse when he has cover in the run and that will be crucial on Tuesday. If he were able to press forward and obtain cover on the back of a horse such as Spankem, he could prove too quick over the concluding stages of the Cup.
Copy That is an obvious danger from the good draw and his last six runs have produced five wins. If he is able to find the lead, he will prove very hard to catch.
Spankem is extremely consistent and Rasmussen knows how to win big races. He will be a major player once again while 2018 Cup winner Thefixer is no longer with the All Stars barn but working nicely towards the Cup and looms as an each-way prospect.
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